Shrewd management of its votes in most constituencies has ensured many candidates were ahead at the first count.

But
Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said today: “I think there will
be a solid transfer rate across non-Fianna Fáil parties. A lot of seats
will go towards the Alliance for Change that this stage may look in
doubt.

“I think there will be an anti-government solidarity among Opposition parties out there.”

But
a Labour Party insider was less optimistic: “Fianna Fáil has managed
its vote very well in many constituencies. It will be increasingly
difficult for Opposition candidates to catch out anybody down the line
with transfers.”

Trinity College politics expert Prof Michael
Marsh said Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens should profit from
transfers because they are more closely-aligned than previous elections.

“If
there are battles for the last seat in constituencies, you would expect
the main Opposition parties to help each other out on the ballots.

“You
also have to factor in the larger-than-expected turnout which seems to
indicate that parties like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael succeeded in
getting out their traditional core vote unlike in 2002.”

Transfers
helped Green TD John Gormley defeat Michael McDowell by just 27 votes
in Dublin South East in a famous week-long battle in 1997.

Only six votes separated Fianna Fáil TD John Dennehy from Independent Kathy Sinnott in Cork South Central in 2002.

Similarly,
Sinn Féin’s Nicky Kehoe lost out by just 74 votes to Dermot Fitzpatrick
of Fianna Fáil in Dublin Central in the same poll.